Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

Jiang Shuoning slowly pushed open the palace door. Only one lamp was left on in the sleeping quarters, making it dimly lit.

Consort Rong lay on her side on the chaise longue, one hand supporting her forehead, her phoenix eyes slightly closed. She wore a scarlet nightgown embroidered with gold thread depicting intertwined crabapple blossoms, and her long, dark hair cascaded down her chest.

The candlelight flickered on her face, casting varying shades of light and shadow on her features.

Jiang Shuoning stood at the door for a while, then turned around and closed the door. He walked to the low cabinet next to the chaise lounge, bent down and took out a folded thin blanket. He tiptoed to Rongfei's side and covered her with it.

Consort Rong kept her eyes closed, her thin lips moving slightly, her voice weary: "You're back?"

Jiang Shuoning lowered her eyes: "Yes. I changed into clean clothes as soon as I got back, which delayed me for a while."

Consort Rong remained silent for a while before slowly opening her eyes. Her gaze fell on the white cloth around her neck, which was dazzlingly white under the candlelight.

She looked at it for a long time before finally asking, "What did the imperial physician say?"

Jiang Shuoning lowered his eyes: "Your Majesty, the imperial physician said that fortunately the wound is not deep, and applying medicine on time will suffice."

Will it leave a scar?

Consort Rong stared directly at her with her phoenix eyes, her voice devoid of emotion.

Jiang Shuoning paused for a moment: "The imperial physician said that if I take good care of myself, the symptoms will lessen."

Consort Rong did not respond. She lifted the blanket draped over her body and raised her hand. Jiang Shuoning quickly stepped forward and supported her arms with both hands, allowing Consort Rong to sit up.

"I'm hungry."

Jiang Shuoning was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.

Given Consort Rong's temperament, what happened today is enough for her to overturn the entire Yihua Palace.

But she didn't throw anything or curse anything. She just sat up, straightened her sleeves, and said she was hungry.

The Emperor has issued an edict today ordering a three-month confinement period, and the small kitchen has been shut down. From now on, meals will be delivered by the Imperial Kitchen on time.

At this hour, the food boxes from the imperial kitchen had not yet arrived.

Jiang Shuoning lowered her eyes and replied in a low voice, "This servant will go to the door to urge them."

Consort Rong did not respond.

Jiang Shuoning turned and walked towards the door, when Rongfei's voice suddenly came from behind him:

"I want to eat spring pancakes."

Jiang Shuoning stopped in his tracks.

Spring pancakes. Suihe would make them for Consort Rong every spring. Consort Rong loved her spring pancakes the most.

With Suihe gone, the spring pancakes are gone too. When Consort Rong mentioned spring pancakes at this moment, was it casually, or intentionally?

Jiang Shuoning tightened her hands clasped around her lower abdomen, turned around and slightly bent her knees, her voice lower than before: "Yes, Your Majesty."

After saying that, she pushed open the door and went out. A gust of wind blew in from the corridor, causing the lamp in the room to flicker.

Consort Rong sat on the chaise longue, staring at the closed door, and remained motionless for a long time.

Her hand rested on the edge of the thin blanket, her fingertips gently twirling a corner of the blanket. Her phoenix eyes gradually became unfocused, as if she were thinking about something, or as if she wasn't thinking about anything at all.

Jiang Shuoning walked into the small kitchen, where the pots and pans were cold. The imperial kitchen had taken everything that could be put away, leaving not even a single scallion.

Yesterday, this place was piled high with all sorts of top-quality ingredients, but in just one day, the shelves are completely empty.

Consort Rong wants to eat spring pancakes. But she has nothing to offer.

Should they go out and ask the Imperial Kitchen for food? Not to mention that the people from Yihua Palace can't leave, even if they could, asking for food privately during their confinement period would be another crime if it reached the Emperor's ears.

She knew perfectly well whether the imperial kitchen had forgotten or was doing it on purpose. The dinner from the imperial kitchen hadn't been delivered yet.

She stood in front of the empty stove, pacing back and forth anxiously for a couple of steps before stopping.

She couldn't make spring pancakes anymore. But she couldn't keep Consort Rong waiting.

Suddenly, a thought struck her. She took out a few taels of silver from her sleeve, clenched them in her palm, walked out of the small kitchen, and headed straight for the palace gate.

(under)

The two guards standing at the palace gate heard someone knocking softly inside. They exchanged a glance and pretended not to hear.

After knocking for a while, Jiang Shuoning's voice came from under the door:

"My lords, I am Jiang Shuoning, the head maid of Yihua Palace. The imperial kitchen's dinner has not yet been delivered, and Her Highness cannot bear to go hungry. I dare not ask you two to make an exception and open the door, but I beg you to go to the imperial kitchen and urge them to send it to us."

If we haven't prepared any yet, and Your Highness wishes to eat spring pancakes, I can use my own monthly allowance to exchange for some ingredients. If you two gentlemen are willing to make this arrangement, I will be eternally grateful.

As she spoke, she slipped a few taels of silver through the crack in the door.

A guard bent down, picked it up, weighed it in his hand, put it in his sleeve, and chuckled.

"Miss Shuoning, we've accepted the money, but we really dare not open this door. We can't bear the consequences if we're blamed by our superiors. You should go back."

Jiang Shuoning stood behind the door, and hearing the two guards' menacing tone, which left no room for negotiation, he said no more and silently turned and left.

Consort Rong insisted on eating spring pancakes at this time, even though she knew that the small kitchen had been removed and she was confined to her quarters. Was she still not accepting Suihe's death, or did she really want to eat spring pancakes?

Jiang Shuoning lowered his eyes, stepping on the scattered shadows in the courtyard, lost in thought.

Night fell heavily, not a single star could be seen, and a cool breeze blew along the ground, causing the hem of her skirt to flutter slightly.

After an unknown amount of time, a strange noise suddenly came from the backyard.

She frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then took a step and walked in that direction.

The backyard was silent, with only the occasional sobs and low murmurs of palace maids and eunuchs coming from inside the house.

Jiang Shuo Ning looked around for a while, thinking she had misheard. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she heard a noise behind her again and turned around abruptly.

A half-figure could be seen peeking out from the eaves of the wall.

Her heart leaped, and her fingertips dug deeply into her palm.

The figure, perched on the wall, raised a hand to push up the brim of his hat, smiled gently at Jiang Shuoning, and whispered, "Shuoning."

Jiang Shuoning finally saw that face clearly. The darker the night, the more his face appeared as white as the moon, with delicate features, clear and bright eyes, and every part of him was distinct.

Her eyelashes trembled, her clenched fingers tightened involuntarily, and her breath hitched for a moment.

Zhou Zhengyin flipped down from the wall, landing lightly and silently. He crouched down, parted the grass at the corner of the wall, revealing a small hole.

A food box was quietly passed in from the cave entrance. He took the food box, stood up, walked to Jiang Shuoning, and carefully placed it between the two of them.

He didn't say anything, but his beautiful eyes seemed to say, "This is for you."

Jiang Shuoning paused for a moment, then immediately looked around. Seeing that no one came out, his gaze returned to Jiang Shuoning, and he scolded in a low voice, "Who gave you permission to come?"

"I want to help you. There are spring pancakes inside."

Seeing her face suddenly turn frosty, Zhou Zhengyin was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly, lowered his head, and stammered:

"I will go and beg for Bao Zhong."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuoning looked up at the wall behind him.

She had seen the hand that had just handed the food box through the cave entrance; it was Bao Zhong's hand. There was a small scar on the web of his hand.

Zhou Zhengyin did not return to Changmen Palace, but stayed in Yihua Palace, hiding in the shadows.

He must have overheard her conversation with the guards before turning around and going to the Imperial Household Department.

But the Imperial Household Department is so large, can he really see Baozhong so easily? If Feng Xi finds out, both he and Baozhong will be punished.

When did he become so audacious? The time in the Imperial Garden, and this time too.

Are you out of your mind?

Thinking of this, Jiang Shuoning's eyelashes fluttered slightly, something welling up in her heart again, but she forcefully suppressed it. She turned her face away from him, no longer looking at him, and urged him softly:

"Go away. Don't come back again. I'll come find you in three months."

Zhou Zhengyin quietly raised his eyes and quickly glanced at her.

The fact that he didn't blame himself this time shows that he finally did the right thing.

A slight smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of his mouth.

But when my gaze fell upon the white cloth wrapped around her neck, my heart clenched again.

He turned around reluctantly, nimbly climbed over the wall, sat on it, and glanced back at her one last time.

The dim, warm light of the lantern fell on her face, making her look a little softer than before.

Only then did he jump down.

Jiang Shuoning closed his eyes and let out a long sigh of relief, instantly feeling a sticky sensation on his back as his clothes clung tightly to his body.

She squatted down and opened the food box, inside which was a plate of spring pancakes, a bowl of hot soup, and several side dishes, all still steaming.

No one around saw her, nor did anyone hear the sound of her heartbeat.

She carried the food box and walked quickly toward the front yard, her pace faster than when she came, so fast that she herself couldn't explain what she was rushing to do.